The True Meaning of Love
by JasonMorganfan87
Summary: Bella learns about Edward's plan to leave her in the woods and comes to the conclusion that he couldn't possibly have loved her.  She then sets off on a journey with another Cullen.  Can they teach each other what love really means?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of its characters.**

**The True Meaning of Love**

**Bella's POV**

After Edward dropped me off, I went upstairs to my room. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw who was sitting on my bed. "Jasper, you scared the hell out of me."

"I'm sorry," he said. I had the feeling he wasn't just apologizing for scaring me.

"I don't blame you, Jasper. I know how hard it is for you, not just because of your own blood lust, but because of the blood lust everyone else was probably feeling as well." I didn't know if anyone else realized it, but I did. Jasper was an empath. He felt everything everyone else felt, including blood lust. He felt it from everyone in that room, save Carlisle.

"It doesn't matter. I should've been able to control myself. Everything that is about to happen is my fault," Jasper said.

I went to tell him that it wasn't true when I caught what he said. "Wait, what do you mean 'what's about to happen'? What's about to happen?"

Jasper apparently hadn't meant to say that because he suddenly looked like a deer caught in the headlights and seemed to be trying to decide what to do next.

I started to get uneasy. "Tell me, Jasper."

"I'm sorry. It's my fault," Jasper said guiltily.

"What is?" I asked.

Alice had a vision. What happened tonight scared Edward, and rightfully so. He's gonna take you to the woods in a day or so and he's going to tell you that we're all leaving. Apparently we'll all be gone by then. In fact, he's probably at the house convincing everyone to leave right now," Jasper explained.

"Okay, hold up. What do you mean leaving? Leaving for where?" I asked confused. This didn't make any sense to me. Why would the family decide out of the blue to just leave Forks?

"I don't know where yet. I do know that Edward won't be going with us. He'll be going off on his own," Jasper said.

"Are you telling me that Edward's planning to leave me?" I asked in shock. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Edward wouldn't really leave me, would he? What was I saying? Of course he would. He'd tried to do it in Phoenix.

Jasper nodded sadly. "He's going to tell you that he doesn't want you anymore. He's going to say that you don't belong in his world. But he won't mean it. He's only doing it to protect you.

At first I was shocked. I couldn't believe what I was being told. Not only was Edward leaving me, but he was going to try to convince me that he never loved me in the first place? I just couldn't fathom him doing that. Leaving me I could see him doing. Like I said, he tried it once before, but to actually tell me that he didn't want me?

After shock came anger. Edward was really going to do this to me? He was going to break up with me in the freaking woods of all places and tell me that I never mattered to him? And he knows I'd believe him too. It never made sense for him to love me. Of course I'd believe him. Well, if he thought that I was just going to sit back and wait for him to leave me, he had another thing coming. It was like something had just been woken up inside me. I was done doing things like Edward wanted.

"Bella, please say something," Jasper said. He looked really concerned.

I took a deep breath to try to keep as much anger and hurt out of my voice. "When is this supposed to happen?"

"Tomorrow or the day after," Jasper replied.

"Then I guess I have to be gone by then," I said.

Jasper stood up from the bed. Unsurprisingly, he seemed taken aback by what I said. "Wait, what? What do you mean?"

"I'm not going to sit back and wait to be left. I'm gonna give him the satisfaction. He wants to break up, fine, but it's going to be on my terms, not his! I'm leaving Forks."

**Jasper's POV**

I was completely shocked by Bella's declaration. I had no idea she was going to react like that. I figured she was going to fall apart. That she would go running to Edward and would beg him to stay. But she didn't. Instead she was talking about leaving herself. "Bella, think about this. You really want to leave Forks?"

"I didn't want to come to Forks in the first place, Jasper. I came because my mother didn't really want me there anymore and I could see it. The only thing that kept me here for so long was Edward and the rest of the family. But now you're all leaving. So what am I going to do? Just sit here and wait for Edward to dump me? I don't think so. And I'm certainly not going to stay here afterwards when every single good memory I have of this town has to do with him or the rest of you," Bella explained before grabbing a bag from her closet. She then started to pack.

"What about your father?" I asked.

"He'll be fine. I'll leave him a note saying that I need to get away for a while. I'll call him later. His life can go back to the way it was before all the drama I've brought him by coming here. Believe me, if I stay here, things will only be worse," Bella said as grabbed some clothes from her dresser.

"Bella, you don't have to do this. Go talk to Edward. I'm sure you can convince him to stay," I urged. This was just so wrong. Bella shouldn't feel like she had to leave her home because Edward was an idiot.

Bella finally stopped and looked at me. "Yeah, maybe I could, but why should I? Why, so can see me as this pathetic little girl that can't live without him. I don't think so. If he doesn't want to be with me, I am not going to beg him to stay."

"Bella, he does want to be with you. He's trying to protect you," I told her. Edward was wrong for what he was going to do, but I did honestly believe he was trying to protect her.

"No, you don't do that, Jasper. You don't just walk away from someone you love, and you certainly don't tell them that you never love them. If Edward really thinks he's going to say that to me then he doesn't love me. He never did," Bella said. There was mixture of pain and anger in her voice. She seemed to be trying to focus on the anger, but the pain was evident even without my gift.

I couldn't really argue with what Bella was saying. She was right. You don't just abandon the person you love, and certainly not the way Edward was going to. That's why even I was surprised by what I said next. "Let me come with you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Jasper's POV**

Bella stared at me in shock. She was obviously surprised by my offer to accompany her wherever she went. She wasn't the only one. I could hardly believe I was considering this. What had made me ask to go with her? I had a life. I had a family. I had Alice. Not to mention the fact being in close proximity of her for so long could be dangerous to her. But somehow, I just couldn't think about anything else besides going with Bella. The idea of letting her out there on her own just didn't sit well with me. I just couldn't leave Bella behind.

"I'm sorry did you just ask to go with me?" Bella asked surprised.

"Yes. Take me with you," I said again.

"Jasper, if this the guilt talking-"

"It's not," I said quickly. I still didn't fully understand why I was doing this, but it wasn't out of pity or guilt. Yes, I felt guilt, but that alone wouldn't have me doing something like this.

"Then why? You belong with your family and Alice, not running off to God knows where with me," Bella told me.

"They're your family too, Bella. Edward may be able to convince them to leave for your safety, but they will always see you as their family. Maybe that's why I want to go with me. I don't want you to be alone. The rest of the family has each other. They'll be okay," I said confidently. I knew they'd miss me, and I them, but they would be alright. I wasn't so sure Bella would. Yes, she was angry as hell right now, but there was going to come a time when she would actually have to face the pain as well, and when that happened, she would need help.

"What about Alice? You really want to leave her behind? She's your wife," Bella reminded me.

"She'll understand," I said, unsure if that was actually tree. I actually had no idea how Alice would react to this. I hoped that she would realize that Bella shouldn't be alone right now and understand why I needed to go, but I really didn't know.

"No, she won't. Trust me I know. You're going to walk away from her and she's going to hate you for it. I can't do that to her or you," Bella said. I felt her pain, anger, and bitterness as she said it.

"Alice would want me to help you," I said. That much I was sure about. I didn't know how my wife would react to me leaving to go with Bella, but I did know that she would want me to do what I could to help her best friend. Eventually she would understand. She had to.

"By leaving her? Somehow I doubt she would want you to go that far. Look, it's bad enough that my relationship with Edward is over. I won't ruin your relationship with Alice," Bella said firmly.

"You wouldn't be ruining anything. Alice and I will be fine. I promise."

Bella sighed. "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?" Bella asked.

"Yes, I will. If you don't want me to come, I won't. I'll respect your wishes," I told her.

Bella laughed humorlessly. "Wow. What a novel concept. Too bad your brother couldn't do the same. Okay, Jasper, you can come, but only if Alice truly is okay with it."

"Alright. I'll head back right now. I'll meet you back here in an hour," Jasper said.

"Only come back if Alice agrees," Bella practically ordered.

I nodded and jumped out her window.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

I walked into my house and saw Edward by the stairs. He was glaring at me. "Are you happy now, Jasper? Because you couldn't keep yourself under control, we all have to leave.

I started seething. I wanted to punch Edward right then and there. I was very well aware of what I tried to do and the damage that I had caused, but in that moment I realized something. I wasn't responsible for Edward's cowardice. He was the moron that was throwing away the best thing that ever happened to him.

Edward growled at me. "I am not a coward!"

"You got a better word for it. Life got hard, so you wanna bail. That's the very definition of a coward, and very typical of you. Isn't that what you did the first time you met Bella. You couldn't handle it so you raced off to Alaska. Do I detect a trend here, brother?" I asked with a smirk.

"How dare you? This all your fault!" Edward yelled.

"No. Bella getting hurt is my fault. Nearly attacking her is my fault. What you are about to do is on you. No one else. You won't use me to make yourself feel better. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go speak to my wife," I told him. I made sure to keep any thoughts I had about leaving with Bella out of my head by replaying some battle memories from the Civil War.

I went upstairs and into my bedroom. Alice was sitting on the bed looking back at me. One look from her and I knew that she knew what I was planning. She knew I was going to be leaving with Bella tonight. I also knew from her look that she wasn't going to try to stop me. "Do you understand?"

Alice slowly nodded her head. "Yeah, Jazz, I get it. I always knew it would end like this. Well, not exactly like this, but I knew it was only a matter of time before you left."

"I'm not leaving forever, Alice. I just want to help Bella get through all this and then I'll be back," I promised. I wasn't sure why she was talking like this was the end. I was just helping a family member get through a rough patch. It wasn't like I was asking for a divorce.

"I know. I know you'll be back. You'll both be back. You'll both come back to the family," Alice said.

I didn't like the way she said that. It was like she was saying that I was coming back, but not to her. Her emotions told the same story. She felt sadness, love, and resignation. "Alice, I don't want you to feel like I'm leaving you."

"But you are."

"No! I just don't want Bella to be alone right now. She's just so hurt and angry right now, and I'm worried about what's going to happen when she finally breaks down. She shouldn't be alone when that happens. She shouldn't have to deal with the hardest thing that has ever happened to her by herself.

"Jazz, do you remember what Bella said to you when you asked her why she didn't try to make Edward stay?" Alice asked. She'd obviously had a vision about our conversation.

I nodded. Bella's words on how you don't leave the one you love replayed in my mind. "I remember, but it's not the same. I'm not abandoning you. _I_ will be back."

Alice sighed. "Well, I hope that's true. I hope you do come back for me, but if you don't, it'll be okay. I'll understand."

I knew she didn't believe me. A part of me also knew that she was probably right. Alice was almost always right. It was downside of living with a psychic. Still, I wasn't ready to say that it was over. "I'll call you, okay?"

Alice nodded. "I've already told the others that you are going away because you need time by yourself after what happened with Bella at the party. It won't end well if Edward knows you left with her.

I nodded.

"Edward's going to go looking for Bella when he realizes she left," Alice said.

I scowled. That was unbelievable. What right did he have? What, was going to find her just so he could be the one to leave her?

"He won't find you guys. You know how Edward is with tracking," Alice continued.

"You said we'll come back though."

"Eventually," Alice confirmed.

"You know something, don't you? Something that I don't?" I asked. I knew she did. I could tell by her demeanor. She was keeping something from me.

"No, I think you know it too. At least a part of you does. And when you finally realize it completely, I don't want you to worry about me. I'll be okay. Tell Bella the same. I know she said that she didn't want you to go if I wasn't okay with it, so tell her I am," Alice told me.

"Are you?" I asked.

"Not completely, but I will be," Alice said.

I could feel the hurt and sadness she was feeling, but I also felt acceptance coming from her. "This really is it for us, isn't it?"

Alice didn't answer. She just looked at me sadly, telling me everything I needed to hear. It saddened me, but not enough to stay, which made me realize that Bella's words to me about Edward not loving her really did apply to Alice and me. I wouldn't be leaving if I truly loved her. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. I understand. I wish I didn't, but I do. Go," Alice said.

I quickly packed a bag and headed down the stairs. The entire family was waiting there.

Carlisle approached me. "Are you sure you want to do this, son. We can help you with your control."

"I have to do this, Carlisle. I can't explain it, but I have to and I have to do it alone. I'll be back," I promised.

"Yes, that's what Alice said. You take care of yourself," Carlisle said before hugging me briefly.

I quickly said goodbye to everyone in my family, save Edward. The two of us just glared at each other, each blaming the other for hurting Bella. "Goodbye everyone," I said before heading out of the house and towards my adventure with Bella. I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but something inside me told me that things would be okay.


	3. Chapter 3

**Bella's POV**

An hour after Jasper left, I was all set and ready to go. I quickly wrote out a note for my father and a letter for Edward, then I grabbed my packed bag and went out to my truck.

I was mildly surprised to find Jasper leaning against the driver's side of my truck. A large duffle bag was parched next to him. I was surprised because I didn't think he'd really be back. I figured that after speaking to Alice, he'd realize how crazy this was for him to do.

I couldn't help but be slightly pleased to see him. That might be wrong seeing as Alice was my best friend and all, but I didn't want to do this alone. I was scared out of my mind of what I was about to do. I was about to leave everyone and everything I ever cared about behind. I was glad I wouldn't have to do it alone.

"If you're here, I'm assuming that Alice gave you her blessing?" I asked.

Jasper nodded. "She knew before I even walked through the door. She'd already provided the rest of the family with a believable lie."

I chuckled. "Typical Alice. I can't believe she's so okay with it though."

Jasper shrugged. "She understands that it's something you need. So you ready to go?"

"Yeah. I left messages for my father and Edward. I told them I'd be fine and asked them not to search for me." I didn't really think that would be a problem for Edward, but I included it anyway.

"Edward won't listen. He'll try to find us, but he won't be able to. I've been assured of that. Won't be found until we're ready to be," Jasper said.

"Why would Edward even try to find me?" I asked. That made no sense. Edward wanted to break up with me. There was no reason for him to try to find me.

"I can't speak on Edward's motivation for looking for you. Maybe he realizes his mistake too late or maybe he just wants you to be somewhere where he thinks you'll be safe," Jasper said.

The second seemed more likely. Not that it really mattered. Even if it was the first one, I couldn't go back to him. My resolve was clear. Edward didn't love me the way he was supposed to and I refused to be with someone like that no matter how hard it was to resist. "Whatever. Let's just get out of here before Charlie gets home.

Jasper stood up straight and took my bag from me. He put it, as well as his own bag, in the back of the truck. "Want me to drive? This way you can sleep? It's getting pretty late."

"Yeah, sure. Thanks," I said before tossing him my keys and getting in the passenger seat.

Jasper climbed into the driver's seat and started the truck. "Where to, Milady."

I shrugged, not really caring where we went. "Just get us as far away from Forks as possible."

"As you wish," Jasper said before pulling out of the driveway and speeding away.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

**Edward's POV**

After making sure that my family left, I made my way to Bella's. I wanted to watch her sleep one last time before I had to leave her. When I approached her house, I saw that her truck was gone. I thought that was a little weird at first, but then I figured that Charlie had just taken it to be fixed or something.

I climbed into Bella's window quietly as not to wake her up. After a minute, I froze. As I approached the bed, I saw that Bella wasn't in it. All that was there was a piece of paper on the pillow with my name on it.

I picked up the letter and began to read it.

_Dear Edward,_

_By the time you read this, I'll be long gone. I really don't think I owe you an explanation as to why, but since I'm apparently more considerate of you than you are me, I'll give it to you. I'm leaving because there is no way in hell I'm going to wait for you to leave me._

_That's right. I know all about your plan to leave me alone in the woods and never come back. It seems that someone in your family actually has enough common decency to actually tell me the truth and let me decide what's best for me. I wish I could say the same for my supposed boyfriend. _

_As you can see, I wasn't about to just sit at home and wait for you to come and break my heart. You don't get to do that to me. You want out of my life, that's fine, but it's going to be on my terms, not yours. I'm leaving you. Don't call me, don't try to find me, because I don't want to see or talk to you. Not that I really expect you to do either of those things. Why would you? You obviously don't care enough to. Goodbye, Edward._

_Bella._

I stared at the letter in shock. Bella was gone. _She_ had left _me. _Someone had told her that I was planning on leaving her and she left before I had the chance.

I started to get angry at the thought of a member of my family telling Bella what I had planned. What right did they have. It was my place to tell Bella what I'd planned, not any of theirs.

My first thought on who did it was Alice. She must have had a vision of what happened and decided to interfere. She probably thought Bella would be able to change my mind if she knew the truth. Then, however, I smelt a similar scent in the room and it wasn't Alice's. It was Jasper's. His scent was all over the room.

I started to seethe. Who the hell did Jasper think he was even being here. He had no business being anywhere near Bella after what he did tonight. He was the reason all of this was happening. How dare he come here and tell her what I was planning?

I took out my phone and dialed Jasper's number. I was going to give him a piece of my mind for what he did.

_"Hello?"_

"You bastard! You had no right!" I said in a low, but angry voice.

_"Nice to hear from you too, Brother," _Jasper said snidely.

"What the hell did you think you were doing in Bella's room?" I demanded.

_"Well, that's really none of your business, is it? But you know what? I'll tell you anyway. I went to give her a heads up. I thought she deserved to know what a coward her soon to be ex-boyfriend was,"_ Jasper said unapologetically.

"You had no right!" I growled dangerously.

_"I had every right. More than that, I had an obligation. She deserved to know what was going to happen in her own life. I wasn't about to let you just abandon her like nothing in the middle of the woods. She deserved better than that," _He said.

"It wasn't your call! Now thanks to you, Bella's gone! She left Forks!" I told him angrily.

_"Good for her."_

"What?" I asked, unable to believe he'd just said that to me.

_"I think you heard me perfectly. I applaud her for not giving you the satisfaction of leaving her behind," _Jasper said.

"Satisfaction? You think I want this?" I asked. I couldn't believe he had the nerve to say that to me. It was all his fault. He had no right to come at me.

_"Well, you must on some level. Why else would you do this to her? A wise woman once told me you don't leave the person you love," he said._

"You mean like you left Alice?" I shot back at him.

_"I didn't leave her in the middle of the woods, nor did I have any intention of doing so."_

"I have to do that because of you!" I practically screamed. Luckily Charlie wasn't home or he probably would've heard me.

_"You keep telling yourself that lie if it'll make you feel better. I'm not buying it and neither will Bella. That is if she ever speaks to you again," Jasper said._

"I will find Bella, Jasper," I told him. I had to find her. I had to bring her home to her family where she belonged. Then I would make her understand why I was leaving.

_"Oh, I know you'll try because that's you. Everything has to be your way. Well, not this time, Brother. You can't have it both ways. You can't break Bella's heart and then try to run her life," _Jasper said.

"I will find her," I repeated before hanging up on him. I took one last look around the room and then bolted out the window.


	4. Chapter 4

**Jasper's POV**

I had been driving for about two hours. Bella was asleep in the passenger seat. She'd fallen asleep about five minutes after we started driving. I think the night's events exhausted her, but physically and emotionally.

Soon my cellphone began to vibrate. I thought about ignoring it, but there could be a problem with someone in the family and I couldn't ignore that.

I took out my phone and saw that it was from Edward. I reluctantly answered it and spoke in a low voice so I wouldn't wake Bella. "Hello?

Edward's angry voice immediately flooded into my ears. _"You bastard! You had no right!"_

I rolled my eyes. "Nice to hear from you too, Brother."

_"What the hell did you think you were doing in Bella's room?" _

I wasn't at all fazed by the fact that Edward knew I was there. I expected it. My scent was all over Bella's room. He would've caught my scent the second he entered her room. "Well, that's really none of your business. But you know what? I'll tell you anyway. I thought she deserved to know what a coward her soon to be ex-boyfriend really is." I made sure that he could tell from my tone that I was in no way sorry for what I did. Bella deserved the truth and I gave it to her. I would do it again if I had to.

_"You had no right!" _he growled at me.

"I had every right. More than that, I had an obligation. She deserved to know what was going to happen in her own life. I wasn't about to let you just abandon her in the woods. She deserved better than that." My temper was beginning to rise just at the thought of what Edward had planned to do, but I made sure that I kept it under control. I didn't want to disturb Bella.

_"It wasn't your call! Now thanks to you, Bella's gone! She left Forks!"_

I glanced over at a sleeping Bella and smiled. "Good for her."

_"What?"_ Edward asked, sounded genuinely shocked that I would say such a thing.

"I think you heard me perfectly. I applaud her for not giving you the satisfaction of leaving her behind," I said. I was extremely proud of Bella for that. After Alice had described her vision to me, I was sure that Bella was going to fall apart and beg Edward not to go. It had the exact opposite reaction. Maybe because she knew it was all a lie or maybe because she found out in a less cruel way. I didn't know. All I knew was that Bella had been the bigger person and I was proud of her for it.

_"Satisfaction? You think I want this?"_ he asked.

I sighed. Here it comes. This is where Edward makes himself out to be the victim. "Well, you must on some level. Why else would you do this to her? A wise woman once told me that you don't leave the person you love," I said as I glanced over at Bella.

_"You mean like you left Alice?" _Edward shot at me.

My temper continued to rise at that comment, but I refused to let it take over. Not only because of Bella, but also because I didn't want to give Edward the satisfaction of knowing he was getting to me. So instead, I hit him back harder. "I didn't leave her in the middle of the woods, nor did I have any intention of doing so."

Right on cue, Edward started playing the blame game. _"I have to do that because of you!"_

"You keep telling yourself that lie if it makes you feel better. I'm not buying it and neither will Bella," I told him.

_"I will find Bella, Jasper,"_ he said.

"Oh, I know you'll try because that's you. Everything has to be your way. Well, not this time, Brother. You can't have it both ways. You can't break Bella's heart and then try to run her life." I wish I could say I was surprised by Edward's determination to come after Bella, but I wasn't. I wasn't even surprised when Alice told me he was going to do so. Angry, yes, surprised, no. I knew how selfish Edward truly was. No one else in the family really did because he was good at lying and deflecting, but you couldn't lie to an empath about your feelings. His selfishness knew no bounds. It went even beyond Rosalie's.

_"I will find her,"_ Edward repeated, pulling me from my thoughts before hanging up on me.

"Yeah, we'll see about that, Brother. I didn't care what Edward said. It would be a cold day in hell before he found Bella. I wouldn't allow it. It would be a cold day in hell before I let him hurt her again.

"So what did he want?" Bella asked from next to me.

I turned to her just in time to see her open her eyes and look at me. "How much did you here?"

"Enough," Bella said simply.

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Bella. I was trying not to disturb you," I told her.

"It's not your fault. I assume he knows," Bella said.

"He knows you're gone and he knows I'm the one who told you what he was planning. He doesn't know we're together," I explained.

"What did he say?" Bella asked.

"Well, he was mad that I went to see you and told you everything and he declared that he was going to come find you. He won't find you," I promised her.

Bella scowled. "Where the hell does he get off? He's the one that was going to leave me. What, he doesn't like that I'm the one who left? God, how did I not know he was that selfish?"

The hurt and anger came off her in waves. She felt so betrayed by the way Edward was acting. Not only had he planned to lie to her and abandon her, but he'd also refused to follow her wishes and stay away. "I'm sorry, Bella. You don't deserve this."

"Are you sure he won't find us? Because I swear, it I see him, human or not, I will find a way to destroy him," Bella said angrily.

"He won't find us. I promise. You will decide when and if you ever see Edward again," I promised.

"Thank you. So where are we?" she asked.

"Just south of Seattle. We're heading towards Oregon. We should be there by early morning. I figure we'll stop there for a while and figure out where we wanna go from there," I said.

Bella nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Xxxxxxxxxxx

I sat in the room I shared with Jasper. Or the room I used to share with Jasper. Jasper was gone now and soon the rest of us would be too. We would be leaving per Edward's request.

Edward. A part of me really hated him. Not just for hurting Bella, but also for taking Jasper away from me. I knew that last part wasn't really his fault. I would've lost Jasper no matter what because Jasper was never mine. Still, I wanted someone to blame for it and Edward was the easy choice.

It had hurt so much to let Jasper go. Even if we weren't mates, I did love him more than I'd ever loved anyone and letting him go was like letting a piece of myself go. And I knew that if I'd asked him to stay, he would've, but he wouldn't have been fully there. A piece of him would always be with Bella, and eventually, he'd resent me for keeping him from her. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't do that to any of us. So as hard as it was, I knew I had to let him go

I shook my thoughts away. I couldn't keep thinking about all this. It would drive me crazy. Also, if I kept thinking about it, Edward would find out about Jasper and Bella and then it would all be over.

I stood up, grabbed my bags, and headed downstairs. Everyone else was down there by the door, packed and ready to go.

"Are we ready?" Carlisle asked.

"Edward's going to be here in a minute," I said. As if on cue, we all heard his car door. I immediately started blocking my thoughts by thinking of shopping and all the things I would buy as soon as I got to a mall.

Edward stormed in and slammed the door behind him. "Alice, I need you to look into Bella's future."

"You want me to look into Bella's future. Didn't you specifically ask me not to do that an hour ago?" I asked him.

"Yeah, well, things have changed. Bella's disappeared," Edward said.

Everyone was shocked. Except me. I didn't even attempt to feign surprise.

"What do you mean she's gone, son? Where is she?" Carlisle asked, his voice full of concern for his honorary daughter.

"She took off. She left me a note saying she was leaving Forks," Edward said.

"Why would she do that?" Esme asked.

"Yeah, Edward, why?" I asked with a smirk. I couldn't help it. I was going to enjoy seeing him squirm. He deserved that and more.

Edward narrowed his eyes at me. "You knew. You knew this was going to happen!"

"Yup," I said matter-of-factly.

"Then why the hell didn't you tell me!" Edward yelled at me.

"Edward, son, you need to calm down," Carlisle said.

"No! She knew all this was going to happen! You also knew Jasper was going to tell her, didn't you?" Edward accused me.

"Why do you think I told him?" I asked smirking. I'd known the whole time what was going to happen. I'd had two visions. In one, Edward left Bella broken and alone. In the other, Bella used the future knowledge to be become stronger. She captivated on her anger instead of her pain.

"You did this on purpose!" Edward said scathingly.

"I sure did," I told him unapologetically. "So, no, Edward, I will not help you find Bella. In fact, if I do by some off chance get a vision of Bella, I will help her evade you."

"Will someone tell us what's going on? Why'd Bella take off? I thought she understood everything. I thought she agreed with Edward that we should go," Emmett said.

That had been the lie Edward had told them all to get them to go. I was the only one who knew the truth. Well, me and Jasper, and now Bella. "You want to tell them, Brother, or should I?"

"Stop," Edward ordered.

"Tell us what?" Carlisle asked in a calm but stern manner that demanded an answer.

"Edward lied to you. Bella didn't agree with Edward's decision. He hasn't even spoken to her yet, and now thanks to myself and Jasper, he never will," I said while staring smugly at Edward.

"I will find her, Alice," Edward said.

"No, you won't," I told him. Even without my visions I would know that Edward would not find Bella.

"I don't understand, Edward. Why would you lie to us?" Carlisle asked, sounding very disappointed.

"Because he knew you would never agree if you knew the truth," I answered before Edward even had the chance to open his mouth. Oh, I could be quite vindictive when I was pissed, and boy was I pissed tonight.

"Shut up, Alice," Edward said glaring.

"I don't think so, Edward. It's about time they knew who you really are. You see Edward had no intention of giving Bella a say in what he decided. He was going to take Bella into the woods and dump her like she was nothing. He planned to tell her that she was nothing more than a distraction and that he was moving on from her," I told my family.

There was a collection of gasps through the room. Even Rosalie seemed horrified.

"You ass!" yelled Emmett.

"Oh my God. My poor baby," Esme said, obviously thinking of the pain Bella had to be feeling.

"You really are a bastard, you know that?" Rose asked.

"Edward, how could you?" Carlisle asked. I didn't need Jasper's gift to feel his disappointment. It came off him in waves.

"What choice did I have after what Jasper did? I couldn't let something like that happen again. Bella would've been fine," Edward said.

"No, she wouldn't," I said. "If things had played out the way Edward wanted them to, Bella would've been left broken and miserable. She would spend weeks, maybe months like virtual zombie."

"She would've been fine!" Edward insisted. She would've gotten over it with time. Human memories fade with time. Hers would've too. She would've moved on. But now thanks to your husband-"

"Thanks to Jasper, Bella will be alright. Thanks to him being honest with her, she won't feel that same level of pain. Her anger at Edward and what had planned will save her from that level of agony," I explained, cutting Edward off in the process.

Carlisle glared at Edward. "I can't even begin to tell you how disappointed I am in you, Edward. I taught you to treat women better than that."

"I didn't have a choice, Carlisle. Can't you see that. I couldn't let our world hurt her again," Edward said.

Carlisle ignored him and turned to me. "Do you know where Bella is, Alice?"

"No, but I wouldn't say if I did. Bella needs some time to deal with everything. She needs to be on this journey right now. She will come back to us when the time is right," I promised him. I knew he would listen. He loved and respected Bella enough to give her the time she needed. It was more than someone else in the room could say.

"Very well. We will respect her wishes," Carlisle said.

Edward looked at our father like he had grown another head. "What? You can't be serious. We have to find her. God only knows what kind of trouble she'll get into out there alone."

"You should've thought about that before you decided to abandon her. If you want to go after her, I can't stop you, but you will do it alone and against my wishes," Carlisle said.

Edward growled loudly and stormed out of the house.


	5. Chapter 5

**Bella's POV**

I was having an amazing dream about Edward. We were in our meadow kissing and just enjoying being with each other. The meadow was always perfect for us. It was the one place we could forget all our troubles and just be together.

Suddenly, I heard someone call out my name. "Bella? Bella, wake up."

"Edward," I whispered before opening my eyes. When I did open them though, I was no longer in the meadow. I was in my truck with Jasper. I'd returned to reality where Edward was the jackass who left me and Jasper was the guy who'd taken me away from all that.

Jasper gave me a sympathetic smile. "Sorry. It's just me."

I smiled back at him. "Sorry."

"For what? Missing the guy you love? You don't need to be sorry for that," Jasper told me.

"Yeah, I'll bet your feeling the same way about Alice. The only difference is that you get to go back to her one day," I said.

I flash of sadness it Jasper's face, but it went as quickly as it came. "We're in Oregon now. I figure we'll stop and get you something to eat. Then we'll figure out where to go next."

"What time is it?" I asked. It was light out, so I knew it was day, but that was about all.

"Almost nine. You're hungry, right?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, a little. What about you?" I asked.

"I hunted last night after everything that happened. I will need to hunt regularly though. At least every other day. What happened last night can never happen again," Jasper said firmly. It was clear that he still felt a lot of guilt over what happened.

"Jasper, do you blame yourself for all this?" If he did, I was going to have to correct that. I would not have him blaming himself for what was going on now. The rested solely on Edward's shoulders.

"I did at first, but anymore. I realized when Edward tried to shift the blame onto me that he was the one that made the decision that set this all into motion. I won't be held responsible for his actions," Jasper said firmly.

"Edward tried to blame you?" I asked through gritted teeth. That really pissed me off. Jasper hadn't done anything wrong. Yes, he lost control and nearly attacked me, but he didn't. He never even laid a hand on me. Edward was the one that hurt me. He was the one who decided to make my choices for me. He was the one who decided to intentionally cause me pain. How dare he blame Jasper for that?

Jasper shrugged his shoulders. "It's what he does. When something goes wrong, he blames someone else. It's how he justifies his own selfishness."

"How did I not know he was this selfish?" I asked. I could see things so clearly now. I could remember all the times he acted like a selfish jerk. All the times he tried to make my decisions for me. Not the least of which was when he refused to let me be changed even though he knew it was what I wanted. I wanted more than anything to be like the Cullens. To be with Edward, to be with all of them, forever. But he'd refused, claiming that it was for my own good, that I didn't know what I wanted. How did I not see what a condescending, egotistical jerk he was?

"Edward's a good liar. He's good at fooling people. Hell, sometimes I think he actually believes the things he tells the others," Jasper said.

"You see through him," I pointed out.

"I'm an empath. I can feel his selfishness."

"You wanna know what the worst part is? I still love him. Even after what he did, I still love him," I said. I wished to God I didn't love him. I didn't want to love him. I wanted to hate him, and a part of me did, but a larger part of me still loved him. I just wished there was a way to turn it off.

"You and Edward were together for a while. That doesn't just go away overnight, no matter how much you wish it would," Jasper said.

"I'd almost wish that I'd never met him, but that would mean I didn't meet the rest of you and I could never wish that." You see, it wasn't just Edward I loved. I loved all of them. I felt like the Cullens were my family too, sometimes even more than Charlie and Renee were.

Jasper smiled and then pulled into a diner. "It's all gonna work out, Bella. Now come one. Let's get you fed."

As if on cue, my stomach started growling. We got of the car and walked inside. He then sat in a booth at the back of the diner. I grabbed the menu and started looking.

"So what looks good?" Jasper asked.

"Everything. Though I'm sure it won't look good to you," I said smiling.

"Oh, it looks good. It just smells and tastes like cardboard. You'll find out soon enough I'm sure," Jasper said.

I gave him a quizzical look. What did he mean by that?

"That is still your wish, isn't it? To be like us?" Jasper asked.

"Well, yeah, but Edward refuses and Carlisle said he won't do it without Edward's permission," I said bitterly. Carlisle had irritated me beyond belief when he said that. Who was Edward to decide? It was my life. I was the only one that should have a say in whether or not I was changed.

Jasper seemed to catch my ire, not surprising given his gift. "You gotta understand something, Bella. Carlisle is old school. He's from a time when it was deemed necessary to ask a woman's husband or boyfriend for permission before so much as taking her for a walk. Sometimes it's just hard for us to remember that we're in a different place and time. Carlisle probably just didn't want to interfere with your relationship with Edward. He wouldn't have wanted to cause problems with you two."

I snorted. "Yeah, why do that when Edward can cause enough problems between us all on his own?"

Soon the waitress came over. "Hi. Are guys ready to order?"

"Yeah, I'll have scrambled eggs with bacon, sausage and toast on white," I told her.

"I'll have the same," Jasper said.

"Okay, coming right up," She said before walking away.

"I'd change you myself if I could, but I don't have the self-control to do it," Jasper said.

Bella smiled at him. "Thanks, Jasper. That means a lot. Honestly though, if I can't be with Edward and the rest of you, it doesn't really matter."

"Look I know your relationship with Edward is over, but the rest of us still love you. We still want you around," Jasper said.

"I know you do, but the others I'm not so sure about. They were going to leave me just like Edward," I said sadly.

"Do you remember what I told you about Edward being a good liar? Well, I think he used that skill on the rest of the family as well. I can't be sure, but I just don't see them leaving you if they knew the truth. As much as Carlisle would want to respect his son's choices, not even he would allow that. He loves you too much. So does Esme," Jasper said.

"You really think Edward would lie to his own family?" I asked. I knew now that Edward was a liar, but they were his family. Surely he wouldn't lie to them.

"Why not? He's done it in the past. They don't know it, but he has," he said.

"Well, should we warn them? They should know Edward's lying to them, shouldn't they?" I asked. I was getting concerned for my second family. I was worried that Edward would put a spin on things to make it seem like I wanted them gone. I couldn't live with them thinking that.

"I don't think we have to. See, I know Alice. She's had just about enough of Edward's games. He's starting to really piss her off, and pissing Alice off is never a good thing. Alice doesn't get angry. She gets even. She may be small and cheerful on the outside, but there's a lot of vindictiveness in that little pixie," Jasper said smiling.

I laughed. "So you think she ratted Edward out?"

"If she hasn't yet, she will," Jasper said.

"And Carlisle will believe her?"

"Oh, he'll believe her. You don't bet against Alice. And even Edward won't be able to put a spin on this once the truth is known," Jasper said.

Just then the food came. I started eating. Jasper did too, but he was grimacing the whole time, probably knowing that it was going to come right back up later.

"So where do you wanna go next?" Jasper asked.

"I don't really care where we go. As long as Edward is nowhere near us, I'm good," I told him.

"Well, that leaves Florida out. He'd probably look there first," Jasper said.

"Oh, please. Like I'd be stupid enough to go to my mother. I love her, but I cannot deal with her drama right now," I said.

"Okay, well how about we just keep going and see where we end up. If we like it, we stay for a while," Jasper suggested.

"Yeah, that works for me," I said before going back to my food. We finished about twenty minutes later and then paid the bill.

"Ready?" Jasper asked.

"Yup. Let's go," I said before following Jasper out to the truck.


	6. Chapter 6

**Jasper's POV**

The next place Bella and I stopped at was in Wyoming. We stopped in some small town that I couldn't even remember the name of. It was pretty insignificant to be. The only reason we even stopped was because I was uncomfortable going any longer without hunting. I refused to take chances with that. As I said to Bella, what happened on her birthday could never happen again. I wouldn't to. So Bella and I checked into a local hotel and then I went in search of a forest.

I found a place to hunt not too far away from town and I immediately started to hunt. A fed on bear and a couple of dear before I was confident that it was sufficient. I wasn't really full. I couldn't be. You only got that luxury with human blood, something I refused to ever drink again.

I was on my way back to the hotel in Bella's truck; she'd graciously allowed me to take it, when my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Carlisle. I had to answer it. I would not ignore my father. Anyone else besides him, Esme, and Alice, I would on certain occasions, but not them.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

_"Hello, son. I just wanted to call and check in with you,"_ Carlisle said.

"I'm doing fine, Carlisle. I just finished a hunt," I told him as I got into the truck.

_"Excellent! I'm glad to hear you're taking care of yourself. I also wanted to talk to you about Edward and Bella,"_ Carlisle said.

I sighed. I really didn't want to talk about either of those things. It caused my chest to swell up with guilt. Not guilt over leaving with Bella. I wouldn't regret that for as long as I lived, which would probably be quite long. No, what I felt guilty about was deceiving my father. I was with Bella and I couldn't tell him. I couldn't betray her trust and I couldn't put Carlisle in the position where he would have to lie to the rest of the family. I knew that keeping him in the dark was for the best, but I still hated myself for doing it.

_"I want you to know how proud I am of you."_

_'Oh, great. Twist the knife why don't you?' _I thought to myself. Carlisle's pride just made feel more like dirt for lying to him than I already did. "Proud?"

_"Yes. I am proud of you for not allowing your brother to hurt Bella like he intended," _Carlisle told me.

"So Alice told you?" I asked. I wasn't all that surprised to hear it. I knew it was coming. It was like I told Bella. Alice was getting sick of Edward and his selfishness, and I was sure that she blamed Edward for Bella and me leaving. She was bound to seek revenge.

_"Yes. She explained how she had a vision of the entire thing. Well, she actually had more than one, and in one vision, you told Bella everything and helped heal her in the process," _Carlisle explained.

Okay, that surprised me. I had no idea that Alice had orchestrated the whole thing. Why would she do that? She didn't seem to want us to go. She seemed to understand that we had to, but she didn't want us to. Alice was obviously up to something, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what it was.

Carlisle's voice interrupted my thought process. _"Jasper? Are you still there, son?"_

"Yeah, I'm here. So what happened after that? I mean, are you all still in Forks?" I asked. Now that the reason for everyone to leave was gone, I wasn't sure what the rest of the family had decided.

_"No, we're currently in Alaska contemplating our next move. We're thinking of heading to New York. Edward isn't with us. He's opted not to join the rest of the family," _Carlisle explained.

"Yeah, I assumed as much. Edward can't help himself. He wants to find Bella so that he can selfishly rip her heart out," I said scathingly. I immediately regretted my words though. Not because they weren't true, but because Carlisle didn't deserve to hear them. Edward was Carlisle's son too. He didn't need to hear me disparage him. "I'm sorry, Carlisle. I shouldn't have said that."

_"No, it's alright, son. You have said nothing that isn't truth. I'm frankly astounded by Edward's actions. That he would actually do something like that..."_

I felt bad for my father. He was finally seeing Edward for what he was. A selfish bastard. I could tell that the realization was hurting him. How could it not? Carlisle was most selfless person I'd ever met. It was hard for him to accept that his own son was the exact opposite. "I wish I could say I was as surprised as you, but I'm not. I've always known how selfish and manipulative Edward could be. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to be the one to take the delusion away."

_"I appreciate that, son. Though I wish I did know before Edward chased Bella away. It pains me to know that she's out there somewhere, probably thinking we've all abandoned her," _he said.

And with that the guilt I had been feeling returned. I wished I could tell Carlisle that Bella no longer thought that, but I couldn't, nor without revealing that Bella was with me.

_"My only solace is that Alice says she'll return to us one day. I hope the same can be said for you, son," _Carlisle said.

"Of course," I assured him. I would go back when Bella did, which I was sure she would even without Alice's vision. "I just need some time."

_"I understand. Well, I'll allow you to get back to whatever it is you were doing. I love you, son."_

"I love you too. Bye, Carlisle," I said before hanging up. I started the truck and then proceeded to make my way back to Bella.


	7. Chapter 7

**Bella's POV**

I paced our hotel room impatiently as I waited for Jasper to be ready. He was supposed to be taking me somewhere, but he wouldn't tell me where. Apparently he wanted it to be a surprise.

It had been about a month since we'd left Forks. We were still traveling. We never stayed anywhere more than a few days. It was kind of fun not being in one place all the time. It helped take my mind of Edward a lot. I was too focused on where we were going and what we would see to really think about him. That was nice.

Jasper came out of the bathroom a minute later wearing a navy blue button down and a pair of khaki pants. "Ready?"

I put my hands on my hips. "I will be when you tell me where we're going. Come on, Jasper, I hate surprises."

"I couldn't tell," Jasper said dryly. "Look, just relax. You'll see where we're going soon enough. Just enjoy it."

I put my hands on my hips and narrowed my eyes. "It better not be dancing." That would be a disaster waiting to happen. I might as well just throw myself down the stairs because it would be the same result.

Jasper chuckled. "No. I don't feel like visiting the emergency room tonight. Now, come on. Grab your coat and let's go."

I frowned. "Why, it's not that cold out."

"It is where we're going," Jasper said before grabbing my coat and helping me put it on. He then led the way out to his black Mustang.

We'd given up my truck just a few days after we started traveling. I hadn't wanted to part with it, but Jasper had explained that by keeping it, we were risking being found. My father would be able to track the license plate and find us easily. So I reluctantly agreed to ditch it and let Jasper buy a new car. Of course, that was after insisting that I pay for half of it one day. Unlike Edward would've, Jasper agreed readily. He said that while he didn't need the money, he understood and respected my wishes.

Jasper and I quickly got into the car and drove away.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"Are you insane? This is worse than dancing," I told Jasper. We were at an ice rink and we'd just rented ice skates. He actually expected me to go out onto the ice with skates and not kill myself. He had hit his head and suffered temporary amnesia or he'd completely lost his mind. And since the first one wasn't possible, it must be the insane theory.

Jasper chuckled. "Come on, it'll be fun."

"Fun? The last time I went ice skating, I was seven and I broke my arm. I thought you didn't want to visit the hospital today," I said only half joking.

"It'll be fine, Bella, I promise. I won't let anything happen to you," Jasper said in a firm, protective voice that made me believe him.

I sighed. "Okay, fine, but if I get killed, I will find a way to come back and haunt your ass."

"Duly noted," Jasper said in an amused tone before handing me a pair of skates. "Put those on."

I reluctantly took the skates and put them on. Jasper put his on as well and then held out his hand to me. I took it. "Do not even think about letting go."

"You have my word, Darlin'," Jasper promised before leading me onto the ice.

The second I hit the ice I began to slip, but just as I was about to, I felt Jasper put his arms around me to keep me upright. He looked at me and smirked. "See. I told you I wouldn't let you fall."

"We just started. There's still time," I told him.

Jasper laughed. "Don't you trust me?"

I smiled back at him. "More than you know."

We started to skate up and down the ice rink, Jaspers arms never leaving me. I had to admit that I liked being in his arms. I felt more secure than I ever did with Edward. I never felt unsafe with Edward, but with Jasper it was different. He had a tenderness while touching me that I'd never felt with Edward.

"So how you doing, Darlin'?" Jasper asked after a little while.

"Well, I guess it's not so bad after all," I admitted. Actually, I was having fun. More fun than I'd had in a while.

"See, I told you you'd like. Okay, I'm going to let go a little alright?" Jasper asked before pulling away and then just holding my hand once more.

I had to admit I was a little disappointed. I felt like I was home when he had his arms around me. I couldn't really describe the feeling. It was just like I was where I belonged. I couldn't tell Jasper that though. It would sound too weird.

"You're doing great, Darlin'. Just let me know if you start to slip," Jasper said.

As if on cue, the ground began to give out under me and I started to fall. "You mean like now?"

Jasper immediately grabbed me and pulled me up before I could fall to the ground. He pulled me to him and before I knew it, our bodies were touching and our faces were inches apart. We just stood there silently for a minute, and then something I don't think either of us expected happened. We both leaned in closer and kissed.

I can't even put into words what it was like to kiss Jasper. It was definitely more passionate and more powerful than it ever was with Edward. I felt like I was on cloud nine and nothing could bring me down. Except one thing.

After a minute, Alice's face popped into my head. I was kissing my best friend's husband. I was betraying her. What if she saw this? What if she had a vision of us kissing? It would devastate her. No, I couldn't do this to her. It was bad enough that I took Jasper away from her physically. I wouldn't take anymore from her. I wouldn't do it.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

**Jasper's POV**

It was exhilarating. That was the only word I knew to describe it. Kissing Bella was like nothing I'd ever felt before. I felt like I was actually flying. In that moment, it was like we were the only two people on the planet. And I knew what it meant. One kiss was all it took for me to know what was happening. I now knew why Edward was able to let go of Bella and I was able to let go of Alice. Alice was not mine and Bella was not Edward's. Bella and I belonged to each other.

However, just because I know knew without a doubt that Bella was my mate didn't mean I was ready to accept it, or that she would accept me. I still loved Alice and I knew Bella still loved Edward. How were we supposed to just forget that?

All this was going through my head in the thirty seconds it took for Bella to pull away from me. We just stared at each other in shock for a minute. It was like we were frozen in time. Then Bella finally spoke. "Um, I…I think we should go."

"Y…yeah, that's probably a good idea," I said awkwardly before leading her off the ice.


	8. Chapter 8

**Jasper's POV**

I made my way through the forest and to my car after a hunt after a hunt. I had been hunting a lot more lately, almost every night since my kiss with Bella. It had been about a week since that day. Bella and I barely spoke now. We avoided each other like crazy, which wasn't as hard as one might think with two people sharing a tiny motel room.

I'd also been trying Alice repeatedly. I'd called her five times in the last week and gotten nothing. Bella had to and she'd gotten nowhere also. It was clear to me that Alice saw what happened and didn't want to talk to us.

That didn't stop me though. In fact, as soon as I got to the car, I dialed Alice's number again. This time when it got to voicemail though, I got up the courage to leave a message. "Alice, come you've gotta call me back. You've gotta talk to me sooner or later."

I paused for a moment as I tried to conjure up the right words to say. "Look, I know you saw what happened, but it's not what you think." Okay, so I was lying. It was exactly what she thought. I didn't need Edward's gift or even hers to know what Alice was thinking. She knew what it meant just like I did. Bella was my mate. But I wasn't ready to accept that. Alice had been a part of my life for a very long time. I couldn't just forget that. She'd done so much for me. I guess you could say I felt I owed it to her to fight this thing with Bella. So that's what I was doing.

"Alice, please just call me back, okay? We can get through this. I know we can. I love you. Bye," I said before hanging up. For the first time, those words felt like a lie. I told Alice I loved her, and in a certain way, I did and always would. But the way I said it would be interpreted as me being in love with her. And I was no longer sure that I was.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

**Alice's POV**

I had been sitting right there when Jasper called. Just as I had been every other time he called. And just like every other time, I didn't pick up the phone. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk to Jasper. Of course I did. I longed to hear his voice. But I knew what would happen if I answered. I'd seen it. Jasper would try to explain his kiss with Bella away. I would try to make him feel better and then gently tell him that we weren't meant to be. He would fight me on it, not because he loved me, but because his guilt wouldn't allow him to be happy with his true mate. He would tell me he would come home and we'd be together again. In some visions, he even talked about us going away for a while just the two of us. And I wouldn't be strong enough to tell him 'no'. I still loved Jasper very much and I wasn't strong enough to fight him.

I saw a similar future if I picked up Bella's calls. We would talk, she would hear the pain this was all causing me and she would run. She would leave Jasper out of respect for me and he would come home. None of us would be happy. Not Bella, not Jasper, and not me. We would all just be going through the motions until it destroyed us.

But if I ignored the calls altogether, things would be better. They would eventually get the point if they couldn't get through to me. They would assume that I was too angry to talk to them and they would think I couldn't forgive this 'betrayal'. I hated that they would think that, but it was necessary. It was necessary because it would ironically bring them together. They'd both feel cut off. Jasper wouldn't come home because he'd feel there was nothing to come home to and Bella would never be able to leave her mate knowing he was all alone and miserable, even if she didn't know he was her mate yet. Besides, the truth was, neither of them really wanted to leave each other. Thinking I hated them would be the perfect excuse for them to stay together.

Suddenly a voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "Are you ever going to answer him?"

I turned to see Rosalie in the doorway. "How long have you been standing there? Long enough to know that you're avoiding Jasper's calls again. Why won't you answer him?"

"Because there are things he has to figure out for himself. I can't help him." And boy did I hate that. I wanted to help Jasper. I wanted to help him see his true path. But I just wasn't strong enough yet to let him go if he fought me. So the best thing I could do to help him was to do nothing at all. I had to let Jasper and Bella figure this out for themselves. "So what did you originally come in here for?"

"Edward finally checked in. He's in Florida," Rosalie said.

I snorted. Like Bella would be stupid enough to go to her mom's to hide.

Rosalie chuckled in agreement. "Yeah. Even if Bella was stupid enough to go to Renee's, Jasper isn't."

I stared at my sister in shock. How the hell did she figure out that Bella and Jasper were together? I never let out even an inkling that they were traveling together. Edward didn't even know and he could read minds.

Rosalie smirked at the look on my face. "I may be blond, but I'm not dumb. Jasper and Bella leave the same night and go in complete different directions? I don't think so. Those two left together. Though for the life of me, I can't figure out why."

"Because it was what they needed," I said simply.

"But why would he do it and why would you let him? I know Bella's your friend and all, but Jasper's your husband. He's your mate," Rosalie said.

I looked away unable to meet her eyes.

"He is your mate, isn't he?"

I stood up off my bed. "Jasper is where he needs to be. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go shopping. It's time to upgrade my cellphone," I told her before walking away. I might not be able to do anything to help Jasper and Bella get together, but I could speed the process along. The next time Jasper or Bella tried to get through, they wouldn't get through. It would send a very clear message. Jasper and I were done.


	9. Chapter 9

**Jasper's POV**

I walked into to the hotel room to find Bella pacing the room with her cellphone in her hand. I could feel the nervousness and guilt pour off of her. "What's wrong?"

As soon as she saw me, she rushed over to me. "Jasper, I think we really did it. Alice changed her number."

"What? I just called her a couple of hours ago," I said in shock. Alice had not answered the phone, but her voice on her voicemail was clear as a bell.

"Well, I just called and I got a recording saying the phone was no longer in use," Bella said frantically.

I immediately took out my phone and dialed Alice. It wasn't that I didn't believe Bella. I was just hoping she called a wrong number or something. Anything if it meant Alice wasn't giving up on them both completely.

Sure enough, when I dialed Alice, I got the same recording Bella did. Alice had disconnected her phone, sending a very clear message. She was done with us.

I went over to the bed and sat down. I looked down at my hands. I felt more guilt than I ever had in my life. I knew part of that was because I was feeling Bella's guilt as way, but a good deal of it belonged to me too. I'd hurt someone who'd never been anything but wonderful to me. I knew Alice told me she would be okay if our relationship ended, but somehow I don't think she had this in mind. And clearly I was right, because she obviously couldn't forgive.

Bella came and sat next to me. "I'm sorry, Jasper."

"Don't!" I said sharply. "You haven't done anything wrong, Bella. Nothing worse than I did. It was my responsibility to stay true to Alice. And in any case, I was more than a willing participant in what happened.

Bella was either too buried in her own guilt to hear me or she was ignoring me because she just continued on. "I don't know what I was thinking. It's the first rule with guys. You don't go after your best friend's guy. Not ever. Look, you have to go back. I'm not deluded into thinking Alice will ever forgive me, but you're her husband. She loves you. She'll take you back."

I shook my head sadly. "No. You don't know Alice like I do. Once she makes a decision, that's it. Disconnecting her phone was her way of sending a message. She's done. She's done with us both."

"But if you go back, you can explain…"

"It won't work," I told her. And in all honesty, I didn't want to go back, not without Bella. If I went back it would be out of guilt.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have let this happen," Bella cried.

"Bella, there's something I gotta tell you." I'd been debating for a while whether or not to tell her about the whole mate thing. I didn't want to overwhelm her or anything or make it seem like she had to be with me, especially since I wasn't sure I could allow myself to be with her due to the pain I knew it would cause Alice. But she deserved to know. I would not do what Edward did. I would not take her choices from her.

"What?" Bella asked.

"There's something about vampires that you need to know. It's about how we find our perfect match. You've heard of the expression 'love at first sight', right?" I asked.

Bella nodded.

"That's kind of like how it is. I guess it takes more than a look for some, but it's essentially the same. There's this one person that we're mated too forever. Carlisle has it with Esme and Emmett with Rosalie," I told her.

"And you with Alice. Oh, God, what have I done?" Bella asked quietly. My explanation seemed to be having the opposite result than what I'd intended.

"No, Bella. I thought Alice was my mate, but I was wrong. Carlisle always used to say that when you find your mate, you know," I told her. That was what he always used to tell Edward. That he'd feel it when he met his one and only. I'm pretty sure Edward confused his supreme bloodlust for Bella with that. He probably thought that meant she was his, but it didn't. She was his singer, not his mate.

"Then who is?" Bella asked curiously.

I simply looked at her, hoping she'd get it without me saying it.

She did. "It's impossible. You've gotta be wrong."

"No. Carlisle was right. It's something you know. I knew. The moment it happened, I knew," I told her.

"But I can't be your mate. You love Alice," Bella said.

"And you loved Edward," I pointed out. "And despite everything, he did love you in his own way. Not enough, just like I didn't love Alice enough, but it was still love. The kind of love I'm talking about though isn't something that goes away." I wasn't deluded enough to believe I'd ever stop feeling the way I did. That didn't mean I had to act on it though.

"So what you're saying is that we have to be together," Bella assumed.

"No, we have free will. We decided what we do with our lives," I told her. I wouldn't have her thinking she had no choice but to be with me. "I guess what I'm saying is that your thoughts will never be far from me and mine will never be far from you."

Bella was quiet for a few moments as she seemed to take in what I was telling her. "I feel that connection you're talking about. I have even before we kissed. I wasn't sure what it meant before. I guess I know now. But I'm sorry, I can't do it. I can't do that to Alice. Even if she never forgives me, I can't be with my best friend's husband.

"I understand," I told her. Truthfully, I had mixed feelings. A huge part of me agreed with Bella. I'd said it myself many times. I didn't feel right being with my mate when I knew it would hurt Alice. But a large part of me felt a sharp pain in my chest at the idea of not being with Bella.

"If you have to leave, I understand," Bella said.

"No," I said firmly. I couldn't leave Bella. I just couldn't. The idea of it made my insides hurt worse than when I was changed. I was ashamed to admit that I had considered going back out of guilt, but it would've made me want to die. A part of me was actually glad that Alice couldn't forgive me. Now I didn't have to consider leaving Bella's side. So no, I wasn't going anywhere.


	10. Chapter 10

**Alice's POV**

Idiot! I married an absolute moron! I always knew guys could be pretty dense, but I always thought Jazzy was the exception to that. But, no, he was the example! It had been a week since I changed my phone number. I finally decided to look into the future to see what the outcome would be, and what did I see? I saw Jasper and Bella avoiding their connection for months. Months! All because they 'owed' it to me.

I didn't blame Bella so much. She was human, so she didn't really understand the full extent of the whole mate thing, and I hadn't talked to her before she left, so she had every reason to believe I'd be upset with her.

Jasper on the other hand had no excuse for his stupidity. He knew that fighting your connection to your mate could never end well. We'd also spoken just before he left. I looked him in the eye and told him that if he moved on, it would be alright. But did he listen? No, apparently not. And, yes, I knew that he'd be stupid at first, but I didn't think it would last long. I figured maybe a few weeks or a couple of months tops. That had been how it was before, but apparently, Jasper and Bella would decide differently. Now when I looked into their future, I saw them six months later with still no real change.

I thought once more about contacting them, but that still ended badly when I checked. I knew that if I left them alone, they would find their way eventually. They wouldn't be able to help it. They were each other's other half. The problem was that I wasn't a patient person. I wanted them to be together and happy already. I wanted that both for them and for me. Once they moved on with each other, maybe I would be able to as well.

Suddenly an idea popped into my head. I couldn't get actively involved with Jasper and Bella, but I knew someone who could. Someone Jasper would listen to.

I quickly pulled into a vision to see what would happen. By the time it was over, I was smiling. This would work. Maybe not at first, but soon Bella and Jasper would stop fighting their feelings for each other if I did it this way.

I immediately pulled out my phone and dialed a familiar numbed before pressing the phone to my ear.

A male voice with a southern accent answered after the second ring. _"Hello."_

"Hey, it's me," I told him, knowing he'd figure it out.

"_Alice? Hey, little lady, long time no hear from. Did you change your number? I swear I had you programmed into my phone,"_ he said.

"Yeah, I did. Listen, I need your help."

Xxxxxxxxxxx

**Bella's POV**

I found myself sitting in a small coffee shop. Jasper was hunting and I needed to get out of the hotel room, so I went to a small coffee shop in the small town of New Jersey where we currently resided so that I could think.

Things had been really uneasy between Jasper and me since he told me he was my mate. To say that I was shocked would be an understatement. I knew that we had a connection, but I never would've thought that it was that of soul mates. I thought Alice was Jasper's soul mate.

Though when I think about it, Jasper being my mate made a bit of sense. Jasper dropped his entire life to come travel with me and he stayed even after I told me I couldn't be with him. Only a mate would do something like that.

I hated telling Jasper I couldn't be with him. I hated it because it went against everything I actually wanted. I hadn't been able to get him out of my head since our kiss. My guess was that I did feel the kind of mate connection he mentioned on some level. I wanted to be with him. But I couldn't. I couldn't do that to Alice. It was bad enough that I'd destroyed her marriage. I couldn't betray her by taking her place in his life.

I was soon pulled out of my thoughts when I heard someone come in. I looked up and saw a tall man with short blond hair and bloodshot eyes. Wait, blood shot eyes?! He was a vampire?

The man in question smiled and nodded to me in greeting before walking over to a table in the back.

I felt my heart beat wildly with fear. There was a vampire in the coffee shop and he was obviously a human drinker. Not only that, but he seemed to be interested in me. Why was it that every crazy vampire in the world seemed to take interest in me? Did I have some kind of sign on my back that said 'vampires, eat me please.'?

I took a few deep breaths to calm down and then took out my phone. I immediately dialed Jasper. He answered on the first ring.

"_Bella, is everything okay?" _he asked as soon as he picked up the phone. He knew that I wouldn't call him when he was in the middle of a hunt unless it was important.

I spoke in a very low voice in hopes that vampire in the back would not hear me. "Jasper, I'm at that coffee shop we passed on the way into town. A vampire just walked in."

"_What?"_ Jasper asked sounding surprised. I couldn't really blame him. Vampires didn't often walk into coffee shops as far as I knew. He and the rest of the Cullens might, but then they weren't exactly typical.

"Yeah, and he's staring at me," I said before involuntarily glancing back to see that he was indeed still watching me with a grin on his face.

"_His eyes are red?"_ Jasper asked.

"Very," I told him.

"_Okay, I'm on my way. I'll be there as soon as I can. In the meantime, don't leave that coffee shop. He will not attack you there," _Jasper assured me.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"_Positive. He won't risk the Volturi coming down on him for attacking in public."_

I vaguely remembered hearing about them from Edward. I remembered that they were kind of like kings in the vampire world. It was weird to think of vampires having laws, but if it stopped me from getting eaten right now, it was fine by me. "Okay, just hurry," I said before hanging up.

I tried to pretend like the vampire wasn't there, but it wasn't working. I kept looking back at him despite my brain telling me not to. And every time I looked back at him, he was still grinning.

About the fifth time I looked back, he started to get up. I immediately turned away as not to draw any further attention to myself.

I felt it as the vampire stopped directly in front of my table. "Hi, there, sweetness. May I?" he asked in a southern accent as he gestured to the chair on the other side to me.

"Uh, I'm waiting for someone," I said nervously. I wouldn't tell him I knew what he was. If he thought I didn't know, maybe I could stall whatever he was going to do.

He laughed and sat down across from me. "Yeah, I heard."

I inwardly cursed. Stupid vampires and their hearing! "My mate is on his way." Wow, that sounded weird. Jasper and I hadn't referred to ourselves as mates out loud except for when Jasper informed me that that was what he was.

The vampire laughed at me. "Oh, wow, this aint gonna be too hard after all."

"What?" I asked in confusion.

He waved me off. "Nothing. It's not important."

"Whatever. Look, you should go. If you really did hear then you know my mate is on his way. If you eat me, he'll kill you," I warned him. I hoped it would be enough for him to back off. Though knowing my luck, I kind of doubted it.

He laughed again. "Well, that's temping, sweetheart, but I had a big lunch. I'm kinda full."

"If you don't wanna eat me, what do you want?" I asked curiously. Was this just some kind of game to lure me away or something? What did he want from me?

"Just to chat. What a guy can't talk with a girl he meets in a coffee shop?" the weird vampire asked me.

"Not when the girl is human and the guy isn't," I retorted.

"What are you some kind vampirist?" he asked me with a grin.

"What?" I asked. Vampirist? Was that even a real word? Who the hell was this guy?

"A vampirist. Someone who hates vampires because of what we are. It aint my fault I got bitten you know. I was just like you at one point," he said in mock outrage.

I looked at the vampire like he'd grown a second head. Was this guy for real? He was either playing some kind of weird ass game or he was the strangest vampire in existence. And I'd met Emmett! "Who are you?"

"Consider me a friend of a friend," Weirdo told me.

"I seriously doubt that," I told him. Even if the red eyes didn't make it impossible for him to be friends with anyone I knew, his irritating personality would.

"You don't think I could have friends?" There was the mock outrage again.

"Well, not with anyone sane anyway. I've known you for like two minutes and I must say, you're the most irritating person I've ever met, and I mean of all species. Anyone ever told you that before?" I asked. Fear was completely gone now. This guy didn't want to eat me. He just wanted to irritate the crap out of me.

The irritating being just smiled at me. "Why yes. My lovely wife tells me that all the time."

I looked at him with fake shock. "Somebody married you? Was she drunk?"

"I always thought so," another voice said.

I turned to see Jasper standing nearby looking irritated and slightly amused.


	11. Chapter 11

**Jasper's POV**

I took off towards Bella the second I hung up with her. I drove faster than I ever had in my entire life, which was saying a lot. I only had one thing on my mind. Protecting my mate and destroying the SOB who dared think he could make a meal out of her.

I made it back into town in to the café Bella mentioned in less than twenty minutes, which said a lot about my maniac driving because it would take a normal person at least forty minutes.

I was out of the car within seconds. I didn't even turn it off as I raced towards the entrance of the café. Before I even got to the door, I hear a familiar voice.

"What are you some kind of vampirist?" he was asking.

I immediately began to relax. I would know that voice anywhere. He wasn't going to hurt Bella. He knew I'd torture, maim, and kill him if he even thought about laying a hand on my mate. Not that he ever would.

"What?" Bella asked, obviously not understanding the comment.

I opened the door and sure enough, I saw Bella sitting across from my friend and essentially my brother, Peter Whitlock.

"A vampirist. Someone who hates vampires because of what we are. It aint my fault I got bitten you know. I was just like you at one point," Peter said.

I rolled my eyes at my brother's antics. Only Peter would come up with something that stupid.

"Who are you?" Bella asked as she appeared to be trying of decipher what kind of moron she was talking to.

'_Yeah, good luck with that one, Bella,' _I thought to myself. There wasn't a person alive who could figure Peter out.

"Consider me a friend of a friend," Peter said.

"I seriously doubt that," Bella said.

I knew I should probably make myself known by now, but Bella wasn't scared anymore. The only emotion she seemed to have at the moment was irritation. I wasn't surprised. Peter was good at bringing that emotion out in people.

"You don't think I could have friends?" Peter asked with a false sense of outrage. I knew it was crap even without my gift. The only thing he felt was amused.

"Well, not with anyone sane anyway. I've known you for like two minutes and I must say, you're the most irritating person I've ever met, and I mean of all species. Anyone ever told you that before?" Bella asked irritably.

I nearly snorted. People had definitely told him that before. I certainly had and so had Charlotte.

"Why yes. My lovely wife tells me that all the time," Peter said sounding proud of the fact.

"Somebody married you? Was she drunk?"

I finally decided to make my presence known. "I always thought so."

Peter and Bella both turned to me. I made sure to look mostly irritated when I looked at Peter, but I couldn't hide my amuse either.

Peter grinned at me. "Hey, Major! Long time no see."

"Wait, you know this irritating person, Jasper?" Bella asked me.

"Unfortunately," I said as I made my way over to them. "This irritating person is my brother Peter."

"My condolences," Bella retorted.

"Hey, now, that was uncalled for," Peter said.

"So was nearly making me have a heart attack," I told him irritably. Some of my irritation was not for show. The fear of possibly losing Bella had been nearly debilitating. I did not appreciate that, nor did I appreciate him causing Bella fear.

"Don't be stupid, Major, you can't have a heart attack," Peter said with a smile.

My only response was to glare. Then I turned to Bella and asked, "You okay, Bella?" I knew Peter hadn't and wouldn't' hurt her, but I knew he scared her earlier.

"Yeah. Apparently all he wanted was to annoy me to death," Bella said.

"Yeah, he's good at that. How'd you even know how to find us?" I asked Peter. I knew Peter meeting Bella wasn't just a coincidence. He knew who she was when he approached.

"I have my ways," Peter said with his usual irritating smirk.

"Okay, maybe it's a good idea if we get out of here. There are people around," Bella said.

"You're right as always, Darlin'. Let's head out," I told her. I watched as Bella and Peter got up and then we headed for the door.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

**Peter's POV**

A few hours later, I was with Jasper in the woods while he hunted on animals. The Major insisted I go. He said that since I ruined his last attempt at feeding by scaring his human companion, the least I could do was accompany him.

I watched Jasper feed on a deer and was instantly creeped out. I always knew he fed on animals, but knowing it and watching it were two different things. "That is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen in my life, and I've been alive a long time."

"Well, then I guess you won't be scaring my mate anymore, will you?" Jasper asked.

"Your mate, huh?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. Oh, this was going to be easier than I thought. When Alice called and asked me to help sort the Major and his mate out, she said it was going to be difficult. From where I stood, it wouldn't be as difficult as she thought. They both already referred to the other as their mate.

Jasper stiffened. He obviously wasn't aware he'd referred to Bella that way until just now. "I meant my friend."

I laughed at him. "No, you didn't."

"Drop it, Peter. Where's Charlotte?" Jasper asked.

Of course he would change the subject. The Major wanted to keep off the subject of young Bella. I would let him for the moment. "She's at our place in Kentucky. She decided not to come. Said she wanted to give us time to catch up alone."

Jasper smirked. "You sure she just didn't want a break from your charming self."

"I resent that. My wife loves me," I said with fake anger.

"God only knows how," Jasper retorted.

"So what's up with you, Major? What made you desert the Cullen's and take a human on the road?" I already knew the answer of course. Little miss pixie dust explained it all. However, she also told me not to tell the Major that. I wasn't sure what the big deal was, but just like everyone who'd ever met Alice, I knew better than to bet against her.

"I didn't take Bella anywhere. She took me. She wanted to get out of Forks and I decided to go with her. She needed someone," Jasper said.

"And who better than her mate, right?" I asked with a grin.

Jasper sighed and glared at me. "I thought we were dropping this."

"Hey, it's just a little confusing. You call her your mate, she calls you hers."

"S…she called me her that?" he asked with a bit of hope and happiness in his voice.

"Uh huh. She said her big strong mate was going to save her from the big bad wolf otherwise known as me," I told him.

"Alright, we're mates, but it's complicated, okay? I'm married. Though probably not for long." He added the last part quietly and looked very guilty.

"That's beside the point," I told him.

Jasper looked at me and glared once more. "How is my _wife_ beside the point?"

"The cliché's right, man. You can't help who you love. And, yeah, I know you love Alice, but not to the extent that you love that girl. You raced back to that diner in under ten minutes to get to her. You followed her around the country. She's yours as much as Char's mine," I told him.

"And if Bella was anyone else, maybe that would be okay, but she's Alice's best friend. That means I betray her twice. I can't do that. And even if I could, Bella can't. It's just not going to happen, so please drop it," Jasper said before resuming his hunt.

I waited for my brother to be far enough away before muttering, "Yeah, we'll see about that, Major. We'll see.


	12. Chapter 12

**Bella's POV**

I was in the hotel suite reading and listening to music when I heard a knock on the door. I immediately got up and opened the door. It was Peter. _'Oh, great. Mr. Annoying's here." _

Peter gave me one of those grins that made me want to slap him. "Hey, there, gorgeous."

"Jasper isn't here," I said simply. Jasper had gone to the grocery store for me. I told him I would go since I was the only one of us that actually ate human food, but he insisted. He said I should take the day to just relax. I did feel like lounging around, so I didn't put up much fight.

"That's okay, I'll wait," Peter said before coming in without an invitation.

I closed the door behind him and looked at him. "So what? Jasper's not here so you decided to annoy me?"

"Something like that," Peter replied as he took a seat at the small table in the kitchen area.

"Gee, thanks," I said before walking over and sitting across from him "So I don't really know you, but I just get this feeling you want something."

"Now what could I possibly want?" he asked feigning confusion.

"Cut the crap, jackass. What do you want?" I asked. I wasn't usually so blunt, but Peter just seemed to bring it out in me. Somehow I thought he'd appreciate it.

"Ooh, feisty," Peter said with a grin.

I glared at him in response.

"I can see what the major sees in you," he said.

"Why do you keep calling him the major?" I asked curiously. It wasn't the first time Peter had referred to Jasper as 'the major. He actually called him that more than he called him Jasper.

Peter's amused demeanor disappeared and he winced. "Sorry, sweetness, but that's his story to tell, not mine.

I decided to let it go. He was very serious and I hadn't seen him serious at all since I'd met him. I did make a mental note to ask Jasper about it though. "So what do you want, Peter? I know you want something."

Peter sighed, remaining serious. "The call of mates is strong, Bella. It shouldn't be fought."

I groaned. I so did not want to get into the dynamics of my relationship with Jasper, or lack thereof with a virtual stranger. "Okay, this is really none of your business."

"Actually it is. Jasper's my brother and in everything but DNA. I want to see him happy."

"Jasper wouldn't be happy with me," I told him. I knew that Jasper did car about me, and if he allowed himself, he could probably love me the way mates were supposed to, but he would always be thinking about Alice and how we were hurting her. So would I for that matter. We would never be able to truly be happy.

"Are you crazy? He followed you around the country. You honestly think he'd do something like that for someone he didn't love?" Peter asked.

"I'm not saying he couldn't love me. From how he explained it, he would almost have to love me. But he couldn't be truly happy with me. Not while we're hurting someone we both love," I said.

Peter's smirk came back full force. "Let me guess. Petite, energetic, and sees the future?" Peter asked.

I nodded. "Alice is my best friend. She's my sister the way Jasper is your brother. Now I already betrayed her by kissing her husband and being his mate.

"You do realize that doesn't make a lick of sense, right? Being someone's mate, it's not something you choose. It's something that just is," Peter told me.

"It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that she's my best friend's husband. And even if I can't control what he is to me, I certainly could've controlled kissing him. Now I pray that one day Alice will be able to forgive me, but that will never happen if I pursue a relationship with Jasper," I said. I really hoped Alice could forgive me. It didn't seem good right now, as she changed her number to avoid my calls, but I could still hope that one day she'd forgive and we could be friends again.

"You aint even around Alice right now. It ever occur to you that by the time you are, she may have found her own mate?" Peter asked.

"What?" Obviously it had not occurred to me.

"Every vampire has a mate. It's only a matter of time before they find them. Alice will find her mate one day. She'll find her one true love and she'll realize that her love for the major was not what she thought," Peter explained.

"Even if that happens, it doesn't mean she won't be hurt by me going after her husband. It'll still be a betrayal. I can't do it," I told him.

"You will. There's only so long you'll be able to fight the connection. Eventually, you'll wear down," he said with a smirk.

I glared at him. Just when I thought I might be able to like Peter, he turned back into his annoying self.

Suddenly a new song came onto the radio and Peter stood up. "Come on, Sweetness. Dance with me."

"Whoa, no way! I'm a hopeless klutz. I'm lucky if I don't trip going out to the car," I told him. It was not an understatement either. I had fallen more than once just going out to the car.

"Eh, I won't let you fall. Come on," Peter said as he pulled me up by my wrist.

I sighed and let lead me to the center of the room. I got the feeling I didn't have a choice in the matter anyway.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

**Peter's POV**

I had ulterior dancing with Bella. I'd caught the major's scent right before the song changed. He was just down the road. The idea just popped into my head out of nowhere and I couldn't let it go. Operation Piss the Major Off by Hitting on His Woman was a go.

I dragged Bella to the middle of the room and we started dancing. Not slow dancing though. Both the major and my lovely wife would kick my ass if I did that. I wanted the major to make the human his, not get him to kill me.

As I twirled Bella around, she nearly fell. I quickly pulled her back up before she hit the ground. "Whoa there, sweetheart."

Bella chuckled. "Hey, I warned you."

I just smiled and we continued to dance. I then heard the loud slam of a door. I turned to see that my plan worked perfectly. The major was there with a very pissed off expression on his face.


	13. Chapter 13

**Jasper's POV**

When I walked into the hotel room and saw Peter and Bella dancing, I felt nothing but blinding fury. I was going to murder Peter. He had his hands on my mate. MY mate. I wanted to rip the hands that were currently on Bella off his body!

Soon, Bella and Peter noticed me. Peter just grinned at me, which caused me to want to want to murder him even more. Not only did he have his hands on my mate, but he was taunting me with it!

"Hey, Jazz," Bella said.

I forced myself to calm down a bit. I didn't want to scare Bella with my anger. I could kill Peter later. "Hey. I got you everything I thought you'd like. There's some stuff for salad and sandwiches and I also got you some of those frozen dinners."

"Great, I'll put it away," Bella said as she came over and took the bags from me. She then looked at me in concern. "Jasper, are you okay? Your eyes are really dark."

Okay, so apparently I wasn't doing such a good job of controlling my anger. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Do you need to hunt?" Bella asked.

"No, I'm… You know what? Maybe I should hunt. Peter, why don't you join me?" I asked. I made sure he knew from my expression exactly what I wanted to do to him.

To his credit, Peter did seem uneasy. He obviously knew I was pissed. "Um, okay."

"I thought you didn't drink animal blood," Bella said to Peter.

"He's not gonna be drinking anything anytime soon," I said in an extremely low voice so that only Peter could hear me.

Peter gulped in response. "I don't, but I don't mind accompanying the major.

"I'll be back soon," I told Bella before leading the way out of the room.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

I was calm the entire way to the forest. Didn't say a single word as we ran at vampire speed. But now that we were there where no one could interrupt. I was ready to unleash my rage onto him.

As soon as I rounded on him, Peter began to back away. "Okay, Major, let's just take a minute to calm down."

My response was to grab him by the throat and slammed him against a tree, nearly knocking it down in the process. "My mate! You had your hands on my mate!"

I felt fear come off of Peter in ways, but I also felt determination. Determination? What the hell was that?

"And how'd that make you feel, Major? What was your first thought when you saw me dancing with your woman?" Peter asked with a forced grin.

I growled loudly. "Do you want to lose your arms?"

"You were pissed. You were the picture of a jealous boyfriend," Peter said.

I felt slight satisfaction form Peter and in that moment, I knew what he had done. He was trying to piss me off. It was my brother's own special way of playing matchmaker.

I pulled him back from the tree and shoved him with all my strength, causing him to land on the ground several feet away from me. "You jackass! This was a game to you!"

Peter laughed as pulled himself up off the ground. "No, not a game, a point. I've never seen you react that way, man, not even with Alice. No matter how much you want to deny it, that girl is yours. Your heart and your instincts have already accepted that. They're just waiting for the rest of you to get with program."

"It's none of your business!" I snarled.

"Yeah, your woman said the same. I'll tell you what I told you. You're my brother. That makes it my business. You'd do the same for me if I was being such a moron," Peter said.

"I don't need your input, Peter," I told him.

"I think you do. It's obvious you love the girl. It wasn't obvious before, it is now. So do something about it. Make her yours," Peter urged.

"I can't!" I yelled in frustration. Why couldn't he get that? I couldn't hurt Alice like that and neither could Bella.

"Why not?"

"You know why!" I yelled once more.

"Because of Alice. Let me ask you something. What happens when Alice finds her mate? Would you want her to fight it the way you are now?" Peter asked.

"Of course not. But it's not the same. Her mate is not going to be my brother," I told him.

"What if it was? What if say the mind reader ended up being her mate," Peter asked.

"Edward's not her mate." I immediately dismissed that idea. If Edward were Alice's mate, they would've realized a long time ago.

"But what if he was? How would that make you feel?" he asked me.

"I'd be pissed. Edward is a controlling jackass! Alice deserves a hundred times better than him." The idea of Edward being mated to anyone I cared about filled me with rage. That idiot didn't know how to treat a woman. What he was going to do to Bella proved that.

What Edward had planned to do with Bella still filled me with more rage than I'd ever felt in my very long life. In fact, it had gotten worse with time. It really was good that I wasn't home and in his orbit. I was pretty sure one of us wouldn't have lived very long.

"But not because of who he is. You wouldn't be hurt by the way they would feel towards one another if they were mates," Peter said.

"No," I admitted. It would only bother me because of the massive jerk Edward was. Luckily I didn't have to worry about that because Alice and Edward were not mates.

"Then why do you think your situation is so different?" Peter asked.

"It's different because I don't give a rat's ass about Edward. I've tolerated him all these years for the family's sake. It's different for Bella and Alice. They were best friends since pretty much the moment they met," I explained.

"So you're going to just forget that the girl's your mate? Just go around the world with her and pretend she's nothing more than a friend?" Peter asked.

"You think this is easy for me? I would give anything to take Bella into my arms. To as you put it, make her mine. But I can't."

"Well, if you don't someone else will," he said.

"What?" I asked stiffly.

"Your girl's human. She may feel the pull, but it's nowhere near the way you do right now. Eventually, she may decide to settle for someone else. It may be the fact that not too long ago you wanted to kill me just for dancing with her, but something tells me you're not going to take that very well," Peter said.

He was right. The very thought of Bella being with anyone besides me made me want to kill someone. Bella was mine. Anyone else who touched her would find out just why most vampires around the south feared me.

It was then that I realized I wasn't being fair. Peter was right. I was acting like a jealous boyfriend. The problem was that I wasn't Bella's boyfriend. I hadn't allowed myself to be. And if I wasn't her boyfriend, that freed Bella up to find someone else to fill that role if she so chose. I couldn't let that happen. "No one else will touch her!"

"What are you gonna do about it?" Peter asked. He was egging me on at this point.

That was the question. And I'd already figured out the answer. It was selfish and I knew it, but I needed Bella. I couldn't live without her and I couldn't live with her being with someone who wasn't me. Other than make her live alone and miserable, which wasn't an option, there was only one choice. "Make her mine."


	14. Chapter 14

**Bella's POV**

J had just finished up lunch when Jasper walked back in. I was kind of surprised. I figured he would hunt more than an hour. "Hey. You're back early."

"I didn't need to hunt a lot. My thirst wasn't bad," Jasper told me as he sat across from me at the table.

"Your eyes were dark," I reminded him.

"No because of thirst. I wasn't thirsty, I was pissed," he told me.

"You were angry? At me?" I asked. I didn't think I'd done anything to anger him and if I did, I certainly didn't mean to.

"No, not you, Darlin'. At Peter," Jasper told me.

"Oh, well, that makes a little bit more sense," I said. I didn't know Peter well, but he definitely struck me as the type to piss people off with ease.

Jasper laughed at my comment. "Yeah, Peter does tend to have that effect on people."

"So why were you pissed at him?" I asked.

"Because his hands were all over you," Jasper said with quite a bit of irritation.

"You mean when we were dancing? Why? Did you think he was going to hurt me?" I asked. That had to be it. The only other possibility would be if he was jealous and that couldn't be it. There was nothing about Peter that appealed to me in that way and he was married. I was spoken for anyway. Even though I couldn't be with Jasper, he was the only one I could see myself with anymore.

"No. He's not that stupid. I was angry because he had his hands on my mate. When I saw the two of you dancing, I wanted to rip his arms off his body and set them on fire," he told me.

"You were jealous? That's ridiculous. Jasper, I can barely tolerate Peter's presence. That was probably one of the few moments since I met him that he didn't annoy me," I told him.

"I know that. Hell, I know Peter would never go there anyway. If not because he loves his wife then because he knows she'd cut off an important part of his anatomy when she found out.

"So then why were you so angry?"

"I saw another man with his hands on my mate. I became territorial," he told me.

"We're not together. We agreed we couldn't be anything but friends," I reminded him. It was something I hated, but it was fact. We'd agreed not to be together for Alice's sake.

"I know. And I thought I could live with that. I thought that would be enough. Peter knew better though. That's why he did what he did."

"What are you talking about?" I asked in confusion. What had Peter done?

"He knew I was nearby. I knew what it would do to me to see the two of you like that," Jasper explained.

"Wait, are you saying he asked me to dance just to get a rise out of you? It was a game to him?" Okay, that pissed me off. How dare he mess with Jasper like that? How dare he use _me_ to mess with Jasper like that?

"According to him, it was a point, not a game," Jasper said.

"Jackass," I whispered irritably.

Jasper heard me of course. "Yeah, that was my reaction. I didn't appreciate being played. But there was a method to his madness."

"Yeah, well there's certainly a lot of madness," I retorted.

Jasper chuckled. "Yeah, there is. Listen, Bella, I really think we need to talk again about this thing between us. Except that this time, we don't deny what we mean to each other."

"I've never denied how I feel about you, Jasper," I told him. True, I'd never actually admitted it out loud either, but I'd never denied to him or myself. "But we both agreed that we couldn't act on those feelings."

"And that's the right thing. I know that. It's the moral thing. But I'm beginning to find that I no longer care," he said.

Okay, that surprised me. No matter what I pictured him saying, that didn't even come close.

"Okay, well, I do care. I don't want to hurt Alice, but we can't keep going on like this. I know I can't anyway. I love you, Bella. I knew that the moment we kissed and that will never go away. This is not a normal human attraction. The bond of mates is one that exists for eternity. It never falters and it never weakens. You're my one and only and I'm yours," Jasper said.

"I know that," I told him. I may not be a vampire, but I did feel the connection he spoke of. Maybe not to the same extent as him because I was human, but I certainly felt that bond. And because of that, I knew without a doubt that he was the only one I'd ever consider being with.

"But we both tried to pretend it was. We told ourselves that we couldn't be together and that was that."

"Because it would hurt Alice if we were together," I reminded him. The argument was becoming harder and harder to make though. He was ready to give in and I wasn't sure I'd be able to withstand the argument if he couldn't.

"Yeah, it would. It will. I hate that, but I hate the idea of being without you even more. I began to realize that when I nearly killed Peter for putting his hands on you. And he knew that that would happen. He may be an ass, but he knows how to drive a point home. I can't lose you, Bella, and I cannot stomach the thought of you possibly moving on with another guy," he said.

I shook my head. That would never happen. "I could never be with anyone else."

"But that's not right either. I don't want you to spend the rest of your life in misery. That won't help anybody. Look, hurting Alice would cause me to feel immense guilt, but hurting you is unacceptable! And that what I'd be doing if I didn't fight for us. I'd be hurting both of us. So I'm going to fight for us. The question is will you fight too?"

I was quiet for a while. I was trying to figure out what to do. I didn't want to hurt Alice. I knew she'd never forgive us if we did this. But then again, Alice might not forgive us anyway. He had already betrayed her. And honestly, what was I more afraid of losing? Alice's friendship or Jasper?

.I was surprised by how easy the answer came. I loved Alice, I really did. Her friendship meant so much to me. But Jasper I loved the way I loved no other. I couldn't imagine a future without him. Even when we were fighting our connection, when I pictured my life ten or twenty years from now, he was there. Others might be gone, but he was always there. I didn't know what I would do if he one day wasn't and I was not overly eager to find out.

Finally, I reached over and put my hand on top of Jasper's. "I don't think we should fight. I think what we've been doing is fighting. Fighting our connection, fighting the way we feel about each other. I think it's time we finally stop fighting."

Jasper smiled and stood up. He pulled me up and into his arms. "I love you, Bella."

I pulled away after a minute and finally said the words I'd been trying not to say for so long. "I love you too, Jazz." Then I kissed him.


	15. Chapter 15

**Bella's POV**

It had been nearly a week since Jasper and I finally stopped lying to ourselves and let ourselves be happy. Peter had left in that time, but of course not before gloating about how great a matchmaker he was and how we would've been lost without him. We still didn't know how he'd found us or figured out how we were mates, but frankly, we didn't care that much. We were too happy.

Right now we were curled up the bed. We weren't doing anything or saying anything, just lying in each other's arms. I had never felt so content or happy. I honestly wasn't sure how I was able to stay away from Jasper for so long. When I think back, it seems like it should've been impossible. It was clear to me now that I would've had no prayer of fighting my feelings towards him forever.

I was pulled from my thoughts by Jasper's amazing voice. "You warm enough, Darlin'. I could go get you another blanket."

"You're not going anywhere," I informed him before grabbing ahold of one of the hands he had around my waist.

Jasper chuckled. "No, ma'am."

I snuggled closer to him. "I wish we could stay like this forever."

"We can stay like this as long as you want. I certainly don't have anywhere better to be," Jasper said.

"Oh, I can't believe how much time we wasted being stupid," I said. We had really been stupid. We had only been together a week and already it was the happiest I'd ever been.

"Yeah, we were pretty stupid, even if it was for the right reasons. But that's done now. We have forever to be together," Jasper said.

"Do we?" I asked him. I was probably ruining the moment by asking this, but I had to know if he'd change me. He told me once he had no problem with me being a vampire, but that was before he knew I was his mate. It's easy to say something in the moment. The answer might be different now that it could be a reality. "Would you change me?"

Jasper sighed. "I can't."

I couldn't help but tense. It seemed that he and Edward had something in common. Neither wanted me to be a vampire.

Jasper must have realized what I was thinking. "No, it's not that I don't want you to be a vampire. Of course I do. I'm not like Edward. I don't think being this will destroy your soul. The idea that we don't have souls is ridiculous. Hell, all I have to do is look at my family to know that. Aint nobody going to tell me Carlisle doesn't have a soul. Same for the rest. Well, Edward might be in question after what he tried to do to you."

"So then why…?"

"I didn't say you wouldn't be like me. If I have it my way, you will be. But I can't be the one. I told you before, I don't have the control for it," Jasper said.

I pulled out of his arms and turned to face him. "You wouldn't hurt me, Jasper. I trust you."

Jasper reached over and caressed my cheek lovingly. "I'm glad you have so much faith in me, Darlin', but I can't take the risk. My control is way too fragile. Honestly, I don't feel comfortable letting anyone but Carlisle do it. He's got the best control of everyone I know."

"But he won't do it," I reminded him.

"He wouldn't do it before because he wanted things to be settled between you and your mate first. He didn't want to get in the middle. But that was when he thought Edward was your mate. He will live with the choice we make together. Look, we don't have to talk about this now. It'll keep," Jasper told me.

"How old where you when you were changed?" I asked.

"Nineteen."

"One year then. I won't get older than you," I said firmly.

Jasper chuckled. "Okay, if that's what you want."

I smiled. I loved this man so much. He was the first guy I'd been with to make choices with me instead of for me. Of course the fact that the only other guy I'd been with was Edward might have something to do with it too. "I'd still rather it was you, but I get why you're hesitant."

"I won't do anything that puts you in danger," he said.

"Jasper, how were you turned?" I suddenly asked. I'd just realized that I knew next to nothing about his transformation, or anything about him from before he joined the Cullens.

Jasper appeared very uncomfortable and looked away from me.

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me," I told him. Boy, I sure knew how to bring a party down. I should've known it might be painful for him.

"Yes, I do. You're my mate, my other half. We shouldn't have secrets between us. But be prepared. What I'm about to tell you could very well change the way you feel about me," he said sadly.

I immediately shook my head. "No. Nothing could change the way I feel about you. Does this have anything to do with why Peter calls you 'Major' or why you have scars all over your body?" I'd been meaning to ask him about the whole 'Major' thing, but I gotten distracted by the new developments in our relationship. My sheer happiness made me forget about everything else.

"Both. I, um… I was in the Confederate army when I was turned. I was a major. The youngest in Texas. I kept that name after I was changed, mostly because I saw more battle after I was changed than before. I was changed by a vampire named Maria. I came across her and two others one day after saving a bunch of woman and children. I thought they were in need of help. In reality it was me in need of help," Jasper said.

Jasper seemed to pause out of fear and some pain, so I grabbed his hand. "It's okay."

Jasper looked up at me. "Please don't think less of me. I've tried so hard to make up for it."

I wanted to take him in my arms and never let go. I'd never seen him this emotional before, and I'd certainly never heard him so afraid. He was really worried about how I'd react. "Never. I love you, Jasper. That's never going to stop."

Jasper took a deep breath. "Not all vampires are nomads. There are some vampires, like Maria, who wish to do more than go from place to place and feed. Maria wanted to control part of the world, as did many others. The South was a big hotspot. Maria created an army of newborns to fight her war."

"Newborns?"

"That's what we're called when we're first changed. See, newborns are like children. They're ruled by their emotions and they rarely think things through. They're also incredibly strong. You don't want to come across an army of newborns, not even as a vampire," Jasper explained.

"That's why she changed them. That's why she changed you. She wanted the strength you could offer to her war," I realized.

"Yes. She didn't let most live beyond their newborn period, but I became useful to her. My gift helped her greatly. My job became to train the newborns… and later to destroy them," Jasper said. He paused again. This was obviously very difficult for him.

I wanted to say something, but I figured it was probably better to let him get through it all. So instead, I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"It was in Maria's army that I met Peter. I took a liking to him and I convinced Maria he had potential so that she wouldn't kill him. Later, he met Charlotte when she was brought in. When she was set to be killed, he wanted to get her out of there. I helped them. Peter came back for me though. I told me how different things were up North. I went with him. I couldn't deal with the way things were anymore. My gift was making it difficult for me to do the things I'd done. I had to get out. So that's it. That's my story. The cold, ugly truth. If it changes things, I understand," Jasper said quietly while looking away.

"Jasper, look at me," I requested.

He slowly turned back to me. There was guilt and pain all over his face.

"This changes nothing. The things you did, yes, they were terrible, but it was all you knew as a vampire. Hell, I'm pretty sure that was all you could do to stay alive for a while. And I also know that if you'd met Carlisle first, it never would've happened. Am I right?" I asked him.

"I still did them," Jasper told me.

"Do you regret them?" I asked. I knew he did, but he needed to say it so he could understand.

"More than anything," he whispered.

"Then you're not like her. You're a good man, Jasper. I couldn't love you more if I tried," I told him.

Jasper smiled and leaned in to kiss me. I didn't stop him.


	16. Chapter 16

**Bella's POV**

A few weeks later, Jasper and I were eating breakfast at a small diner near our hotel. Well, actually I was eating and Jasper was picking at what he ordered to make it look like he was eating.

"So where do you wanna go next? We should probably figure that out. We've been here nearly a month," Jasper said.

"I don't want to leave," I told him. I had enjoyed traveling with Jasper, but I was really liking this place. It was where Jasper and I finally faced our feelings for each other and let ourselves be happy. It had been very good to us. It felt like the perfect place to finally settle down.

Jasper raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You wanna stay here?"

"Well, at least until Carlisle changes me. Then we'll probably have to leave, but I'd really like to stay for a while. But if you wanna keep going, that's fine with me," I told him. I wanted to stay, but I would be happy no matter where I was as long as Jasper was with me.

Jasper shook his head. "My home is wherever you are, Darlin'. If you wanna stay, we'll stay."

I smiled back at him in appreciation.

"We should start looking for apartments. We can't live in a hotel forever. It's time to start building our life together," Jasper said with a slight smile.

My smile faded a bit as his comment reminded me of something we had yet to deal with. "Jasper, there's something we need to deal with before we can really plan our life together. Well, actually it's something you need to deal with."

"What?" Jasper asked.

"Look, I know that this will probably hurt Alice and we've done enough of that already, but I don't see another choice. I love you too much to share you with another woman, even just in name, and in all honesty, I think it will be better for Alice in the long run too.

A look of realization crossed Jasper's face. "You're referring to the state of my marriage."

I nodded. I had been thinking about it for a little while now, but I didn't want to bring it up and cause him possible pain. But it had to be done. I could never truly be happy with Jasper until it was.

"I actually already started the process. I contacted my lawyer the day after we made the decision to stop fighting our feelings. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to cause you any more guilt in regards to Alice. I thought I could just get it done and then tell you afterwards," Jasper explained.

"I do feel guilty. But when we're together, that guilt lessens. Ironically, that makes me feel even more guilty when I'm alone," I told him.

Jasper chuckled. "Believe me, I know how you feel. I think it'll get better when the divorce is final though. Alice will be free to move on with her life and we'll move on with ours. I think that's best for everyone.

I nodded and went back to eating my meal. After a couple of minutes though, I looked up at him and quirked an eyebrow. "You have a lawyer?"

Jasper chuckled. "Sure. How do you think we manage to attend high school so many times or Carlisle managed to work at so many hospitals over the years even though his last legitimate birthday was in the sixteen hundreds?"

I felt like slapping myself upside the head. That was a big 'duh' moment. Of course they needed a lawyer for that stuff. "Right. So someone else knows about you?"

"Not exactly. Jenks doesn't know what we are, but he knows enough not to mess with us. Well, actually, he knows enough not to mess with _me_," Jasper said with a satisfied smile.

"You scare the crap out of that man, don't you?" I asked.

Jasper had no response but to continue to smile.

"So how long do you think it'll take? The divorce, I mean?" I asked.

"Not long. Jenks is swift. I'm supposed to sign the papers tomorrow. Then they'll go to Alice. As long as she doesn't fight it, and I don't think she will, it should be done within a few weeks," Jasper said.

I sighed. "Is it wrong that I'm eager for that day?" I couldn't help it, I was. It wasn't that I was trying to push Alice out. That was the last thing I wanted. I wished with to God that Alice could be a part of our lives. I didn't hold out much hope for it, but that didn't stop me from wanting it. It was just that I loved Jasper so much and I looked forward to the day where he was mine and mine alone. It might be selfish, but it was how I felt.

"Well, if it is, you can take comfort in the fact that we're both wrong," Jasper told me.

"Hmm," I mumbled before returning to my breakfast once more.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

**Alice's POV**

I was sitting at the dining room table just staring at them. The papers that would make me single again. I got them an hour ago and just stared at them. I didn't know why it was hitting me so hard. It wasn't like I didn't expect them. Even if I hadn't seen Jasper make the decision, I would've known they were coming. It was really only a matter of time. Jasper wouldn't stay married to me while he was with Bella and Bella would never allow him to.

I sighed and picked up the pen. "Okay, Alice, this is what you wanted. Just sign them." For some reason I couldn't make my hand work once I picked the pen up, which was ridiculous since every part of my body worked absolutely perfectly. I just found this harder than I thought it would be. Despite the fact that I had literally asked for this, it wasn't easy to let go of someone you'd spent decades with. But I would. I had to.

I took a deep breath and forced the pen onto the paper. I signed my name as quickly as I could. The pain that came was unbearable, maybe even worse than the venom that made me what I was. The only solace I took was that I knew it would one day fade. Jasper wasn't my mate. He was my first love, the way Edward was Bella's, but he wasn't my true love.

God, if this was how Bella felt when she found out about Edward's plan to leave her, I didn't envy her. This was horrible. It didn't matter that Jasper wasn't my mate. It still felt like someone had ripped a hole in me. The ironic part was that that person was me. I did this to myself. I made sure Jasper would move on with Bella. It was the right thing, but it was still painful.

I felt the venom start to well up in my eyes, but I pushed it aside. The family would be back soon and I didn't want them to see me so emotional. They would just ask questions that I wasn't prepared to answer right now.

I folded the divorce papers up and placed them back in the envelope. And then I vowed not to look into Bella and Jasper's future anymore. The only way I was going to be able to let Jasper go was to stay away from him completely, including through my visions. Well, for a while at least. I knew that we'd see each other again and that when I did, the pain would be gone, but until then, I had to say goodbye. "Goodbye, Jasper."


End file.
